Latest news with #AusCycling
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Swimming world reacts amid massive news about Aussie Olympic hero Susie O'Neill
Fans are expressing their delight and excitement after Susie O'Neill was elected to the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) board over the weekend - a move that many believe will pay dividends for the Brisbane Games in 2032. O'Neill is an Australian swimming legend who won eight Olympic medals (including two gold), and was widely known as 'Madame Butterfly' throughout her career. She won 35 Australian titles and 24 gold medals in all major competitions, with only Emma McKeon, Ian Thorpe and Leisel Jones winning more Olympic medals for the nation. On Saturday at the AOC's annual general meeting in Sydney, O'Neill and AusCycling chairman Craig Bingham were unveiled as new board members. O'Neill declared she'll put athletes at the heart of her duties, and is eager to chip in ahead of the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. "Now is a good time in my life to get back involved in the Olympic movement," the 51-year-old told reporters. "I'm passionate about the Olympics. The lead-in to Brisbane 2032 is really exciting, I want to be a part of it, I want to be around athletes. I want to help athletes as much as I can, using my experience as an athlete and then other things I have learnt along the way." O'Neill was Australia's deputy Chef de Mission under Anna Meares at the 2021 Games in Tokyo. But she hasn't been involved in the Olympic fold for the last four years, choosing to spend her time on radio in Brisbane instead. In 2019 she opened up in a devastatingly raw admission about the pain she still felt while thinking about the silver medal she won at the 2000 Games in Sydney. O'Neill was the overwhelming favourite in her pet event on home soil - the 200m butterfly. But she had to settle for silver as 21-year-old American Misty Hyman caused a huge boilover to win. And 19 years later she was still coming to terms with it. Watching a replay of the race for the very first time on her Nova radio program 'Ash, Kip, Luttsy & Susie', O'Neill broke down in tears. 'I know it's only a swimming race and I know in my head I didn't fail, but with that I just see failure," she admitted. 'I felt like this was my race, home crowd, and to come second for me is failure. 'Of course I thought I was going to win, I'm still trying to find reasons even 19 years later. Not in my wildest dreams did I think [Hyman] was a legitimate competitor to me. Her time was three seconds slower than what she does. She was not a legitimate competitor at this point.' She admitted she felt relieved to have finally watched the race after 19 years. "It's weird," she added. "I felt so much emotion before but I feel like maybe because I'm still the same person. Just because I lost that doesn't mean I'm that for the rest of my life. I've moved on to other things. I'm not a failure … bit of a sook though.' Fans from a wide range of sports took to social media to congratulate her on the appointment to the AOC board over the weekend. Many declared Australia's Olympic team and the Brisbane Games in good hands with O'Neill helping steer the ship. "Everyone knows Susie O'Neill the swimmer, but she also has an extraordinary record in sports administration," said Ian Chesterman, who was re-elected as AOC Chairman. "She's been an IOC [International Olympic Committee] Athletes' Commission member and IOC member, she's served on the AOC executive, led an Australian youth Olympic team and was deputy chef de mission in Tokyo. She knows the business and has an incredible ability to help us moving forward." Olympic champion swimmer Susie O'Neill AM and @AusCycling Chair Craig Bingham are the newest members to join the Australian Olympic Committee Executive following elections in Sydney — AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) May 3, 2025 A busy weekend for former Olympic champion swimmer Susie O' competing at the World Bodysurfing Tour Finals, yesterday she was elected as one of two new additions to the Australian Olympic Committee Executive. — HER WAY (@herwaysports) May 3, 2025
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Swim great joins Australian Olympic Committee board
Champion swimmer Susie O'Neill says she'll put athletes at the heart of her duties as an Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) board member. O'Neill and AusCycling chairman Craig Bingham joined the board on Saturday at the AOC's annual general meeting in Sydney. Queenslander O'Neill, who won two Olympic gold medals, four silver and two bronze, is eager to chip in ahead of Brisbane's 2032 Olympics. Olympic champion swimmer Susie O'Neill AM and @AusCycling Chair Craig Bingham are the newest members to join the Australian Olympic Committee Executive following elections in Sydney — AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) May 3, 2025 "Now is a good time in my life to get back involved in the Olympic movement," the 51-year-old told reporters. "I'm passionate about the Olympics. "The lead-in to Brisbane 2032 is really exciting, I want to be a part of it, I want to be around athletes. "I want to help athletes as much as I can, using my experience as an athlete and then other things I have learnt along the way." Melbourne-based businessman Bingham said joining the board was a "great honour". "Business and sport really go hand-in-hand," he said. "It's all about people and culture. "How do we foster a great culture where everybody feels part of a high performing entity, and that's what I hope to bring." O'Neill and Bingham were elected to the two vacancies from 13 candidates.
West Australian
03-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Swim great joins Australian Olympic Committee board
Champion swimmer Susie O'Neill says she'll put athletes at the heart of her duties as an Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) board member. O'Neill and AusCycling chairman Craig Bingham joined the board on Saturday at the AOC's annual general meeting in Sydney. Queenslander O'Neill, who won two Olympic gold medals, four silver and two bronze, is eager to chip in ahead of Brisbane's 2032 Olympics. "Now is a good time in my life to get back involved in the Olympic movement," the 51-year-old told reporters. "I'm passionate about the Olympics. "The lead-in to Brisbane 2032 is really exciting, I want to be a part of it, I want to be around athletes. "I want to help athletes as much as I can, using my experience as an athlete and then other things I have learnt along the way." Melbourne-based businessman Bingham said joining the board was a "great honour". "Business and sport really go hand-in-hand," he said. "It's all about people and culture. "How do we foster a great culture where everybody feels part of a high performing entity, and that's what I hope to bring." O'Neill and Bingham were elected to the two vacancies from 13 candidates.
Perth Now
03-05-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Swim great joins Australian Olympic Committee board
Champion swimmer Susie O'Neill says she'll put athletes at the heart of her duties as an Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) board member. O'Neill and AusCycling chairman Craig Bingham joined the board on Saturday at the AOC's annual general meeting in Sydney. Queenslander O'Neill, who won two Olympic gold medals, four silver and two bronze, is eager to chip in ahead of Brisbane's 2032 Olympics. "Now is a good time in my life to get back involved in the Olympic movement," the 51-year-old told reporters. "I'm passionate about the Olympics. "The lead-in to Brisbane 2032 is really exciting, I want to be a part of it, I want to be around athletes. "I want to help athletes as much as I can, using my experience as an athlete and then other things I have learnt along the way." Melbourne-based businessman Bingham said joining the board was a "great honour". "Business and sport really go hand-in-hand," he said. "It's all about people and culture. "How do we foster a great culture where everybody feels part of a high performing entity, and that's what I hope to bring." O'Neill and Bingham were elected to the two vacancies from 13 candidates.
The Guardian
02-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
After devastating BMX injury, Kai Sakakibara makes winning return as para cyclist
Five years ago, Kai Sakakibara's life nearly came to an end doing what he loved – bike racing. At a BMX world cup event in Bathurst, the Olympic hopeful was heading downhill into a turn when his front wheel seemed to buckle. The momentum saw Sakakibara slam headfirst into the dirt, causing carnage as a rider behind him tried to avoid the inevitable collision. In a split second, Sakakibara suffered a devastating brain injury. It was unclear whether Sakakibara, who was 23 at the time, would survive. He eventually emerged from a coma, and it was uncertain if the cyclist would walk again. But last week Sakakibara was finally back doing what he loves. At the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane, the Queenslander was crowned Australia's national champion in the Para C1 1000m time trial. And, Sakakibara tells Guardian Australia, this is just the beginning. 'I feel great,' he says in an interview over Zoom. 'But I still have a long way to go before I get to where I need to go. I'm looking forward to what's to come.' It has been a busy time for Sakakibara, now 28. After initially taking up rowing following the injury, the former BMX star only returned to cycling earlier this year. He was classified – the process to determine which para-sport category an athlete competes in – just days before the AusCycling national championships. Suddenly, he was flying around the velodrome, winning the national stripes. 'I hadn't raced anyone for five years,' Sakakibara says. 'I know that's not that long, but it felt like ages to me. The fact I was able to do it, in front of all those fans, and come away with the win – it was absolutely amazing.' Sakakibara has no memory of the crash that changed his life. A super slow-motion video on YouTube relays it over 19 agonising seconds (the clip has been watched nearly 150,000 times). To this day, he is still navigating the impact of the traumatic brain injury that left him in intensive care for months. 'To be honest, I wish I could tell you [about the aftermath of the crash],' he says. The incident occurred in February 2020; Sakakibara has no memory of the period from November 2019 until midway through his recovery. 'I couldn't walk or talk. That was really hard.' Sakakibara's father, Martin Ward, is by his son's side for the interview; the brain injury's ongoing impact means Sakakibara sometimes needs a moment to formulate an answer, or land on the right word. Ward encourages him when he gets stuck. 'There's no lead in to this stuff,' Ward says of Sakakibara's time in hospital. 'Everyone else in the brain injury ward – the nurses, the doctors – they've been there for many years. We're thrown in the deep end. 'And the challenge with a brain injury is it's not like breaking an arm – you know you'll be in plaster for eight weeks and then it will be fixed. There's no prognosis, it's so complex. Despite what people know, they don't know very much. So when we would say: 'What's going to happen?' They would say: 'Don't know, wait and see'. 'What's the prognosis?' 'Don't know.' 'Will he be a vegetable?' 'Don't know.' Kai likes to say one day at a time – that's what it was for us. Every day was: 'what can we do to make things better, let's hope for tomorrow.'' Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion In time Sakakibara was transferred to Liverpool Hospital, in Sydney's south-west. That is his first memory after the crash. 'But I still thought it was just a dream,' he says. 'I thought I would just wake up one day and go, 'OK, time to go and train'. Obviously that wasn't the case. That was really hard – at the time I don't know how was I able to deal with it.' In the first month after Sakakibara emerged from his coma, he was wheelchair-bound and unable to stand up. It came with a great unknown: would he ever be able to return to his passion of sporting competition? (Sakakibara had been in the process of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics). 'It was a big part of our life – BMX was all I ever thought about, really,' he says. 'I didn't know what else I was going to do. Luckily I found rowing, and track cycling – that was a saviour, I guess. If it wasn't for those sports, I don't know what I would be doing right now.' Sakakibara's return to sport helped him find community – others who had endured similar life-changing injuries – and new pursuits. In 2022, he attended a para-sport try-out day and soon found himself in a boat, learning to row. 'That was awesome, a brand new sport – I thought, 'what can I do here?' That really drove me.' Sakakibara spent two years committed to para-rowing; he also became an ambassador for Connectivity, an advocacy group for sufferers of concussion and traumatic brain injury. Sakakibara – who is half-Japanese, half-British and grew up in Australia – had made an aborted attempt to return to cycling early on in his recovery. 'It was scary,' he says. 'I didn't want to crash and hurt my head again.' But a few months ago, he went back to the velodrome with his sister, the Olympic gold medallist Saya, , to watch her train. Sakakibara found that he had overcome his fear of the bike. 'Those things that had troubled me, they weren't there anymore.' Sakakibara may have only been back on the bike for a few months, but it looks like a career-shift to track para-cycling will endure. 'Rowing was a great transition,' he says. 'But I think going with cycling, like I always have, is the way to go from here.' His eye is already on a Paralympic medal in three years' time. 'The Paralympics in Los Angeles would be an absolute dream come true for me.' Sakakibara is based on the Gold Coast, meaning a home Paralympics might then await in 2032. But he doesn't want to get ahead of himself. 'I've only just started, so I don't want to make any promises. Those are the goals.' Saya won BMX gold at the Paris Olympics; in a poignant moment, Kai and Saya embraced after the medal ceremony. Initially Kai struggled to understand the commotion; it was only when he and his sister came together that Sakakibara appreciated the significance of the moment. 'It was odd,' he says. 'She finished and everyone was cheering, but I couldn't really comprehend what had just happened. I was allowed on the track where they had the presentations, and Saya came over to hug me, saying 'We did it.' That's when it sunk in; I thought, 'We did do it.' That was very special.' It has been a long five years for the Sakakibara family. But at last, Kai Sakakibara is back on the bike. 'It's huge,' says his father. 'It's huge seeing him doing something he loves again.'
